Punjab Kings bought him for a huge amount of INR 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
The former India player Wasim Jaffer has reckoned Punjab Kings (PBKS) player Yuzvendra Chahal to be a bit “off-colour” in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He opined that the leg-spinner is under pressure, and it is reflected in his game as well.
“I think the few deliveries he bowled, when he picked up Travis Head’s wicket, I think that is what we need to see Chahal bowl more often. Looking to spin the ball, looking to bowl googlies, looking to put some revs on the ball, which I think we are missing from watching Yuzi. He is very defensive in his mindset, and the pressure is pretty much visible on his face that he is off-colour,” said Jaffer to ESPN Cricinfo.
After a smashing three-year stint with Rajasthan Royals (RR) since 2022, he is struggling to pick up wickets in this season. The Haryana spinner scalped 66 wickets in 46 matches for RR. Previously, he became the all-time highest wicket-taker for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He bagged 139 wickets in 113 matches in his eight-year stint with RCB since 2014.
However, this edition has proved to be a tough one for Chahal so far. He has managed to pick up only two wickets in five matches of the IPL 2025.
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The former Punjab Kings player (then Kings XI Punjab), Piyush Chawla, also opined the same about the leg-spinner. Chawla, who represented the franchise from 2008 to 2013, felt that Chahal is lacking his form this season. Chahal is mostly known for troubling batters with his unreadable googlies. But Chawla noticed that the spinner is not bowling them this season.
“We have not seen him bowl googlies also. If you are bowling wide outside off-stump for them, then it is going away from them. So, you eventually get a chance to pick a wicket or something like that, but he did not bowl those, maybe because of lack of form if you see this season,” he stated.
Punjab Kings’ brilliant campaign so far in this season was halted by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last night. Their mammoth total of 245 went in vain as SRH openers made the chase look like a cakewalk. Abhishek Sharma starred with his blazing 55-ball-141 as SRH won the match with nine balls remaining.
However, this was Punjab’s second loss in five matches in the IPL 2025. They will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Mullanpur on April 15.
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